Airdrie
United started the match brightly and it did not take long for
us to show that we were in the highlands to do a job. We took
the lead on the 8th minute when David Dunn sent a long defence
splitting ball through County central defence, Gary Twigg was
unmarked about 40 yards from goal and he raced after the ball,
Stuart Garden with Sean Webb in the County defence tried in vain
to make up ground. However, Gary Twigg had enough pace to stay
ahead of them and picked his spot in the Ross County goal, keeper
Stuart Garden in the County goal was given no chance.
With out giving the Ross County goalkeeper any further scares
Airdrie United were the better team for the first half hour we
kept control of the ball just lacked that killer touch to finish
this game off early. It took County until the 28th minute to have
a shot on target.
However,
the game swung on the half hour mark when the Airdrie United
defence should have been put on suicide watch. Ross County got
an equaliser through Airdrie born John Rankin, a cross from
Don Cowie on the right win found Rankin at the back post, as
the Airdrie United defence flailed about trying to get the ball
cleared, he casually picked his spot and buried the ball in
the back of the net.
County were now well on top and took the lead one minute before
half time, a cross from he left should have been cleared by
the Airdrie United defence but Winters took a touch near post
before smashing it into the net.
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This
was one of those games that when the referee blew his whistle
you are shocked to discover that the first half is finished,
referee Craig MacKay had a fantastic first half allowing the
game to flow and removing himself from the game for long periods.
In fact, I think there may only have been four or five free
kicks in the first half.
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second half started with Ross County in complete control of the
game, Our Mid-field seemed to have disappeared and on occasion
it looked like the Ross County attack were walking threw us.
Chances for Ross County were abundant; Don Cowie had a header
off the top of the bar, Martin Canning had a free header from
a corner but put it wide.
Rankin hit a corner out to Alex Burke who hit a fine shot from
around 25 yards from goal. His volley looked to be going into
the top corner but the Airdrie United keeper Stephen Robertson,
making his first start for the club, did well to tip it onto the
underside of the bar before Neil McGowan coolly headed back to
him.
David Winters was clean through on goal, but he went for the spectacular
when he should have taken an extra touch, is this an advert for
Ross County? Not really, but Ross County played some very nice
football in the first thirty minutes of the second half and we
did not look like we were at the races.
Then some hope as Kevin Barkey broke up the far side, his final
ball spun across the face of the Ross County goal and any sort
of touch would have seen Airdrie United getting an equaliser,
it was not to be. Gary Twigg sprinting to keep up with play was
a foot short and the chance went begging.
Airdrie United were given a free kick just inside the Ross County
half, Brian McPhee had by now replaced Brian Prunty and Martin
Hardie had replaced Stephen McKeown. Alan McManus hit the free
kick in to the heart of the Ross County defence. Our usual ball
out to Brian McPhee on the far right was ignored and it paid dividends.
Martin Hardie had a little flick of from his head that caught
the Ross County defence off guard in the scramble to clear their
lines Willie McLaren hit the ball sweetly and gave us our equaliser.
Against the run of play, it may have been but it was sweet none
the less.
The
game came to a finish with Airdrie United having some half chances
but Ross County in the dying minutes could have, should have taken
all three points. John Rankin hit a volley in from a tight angle,
his shot beat Robertson but some timely defending cleared the
ball off the line as the ball headed home.
Good
game, and a well-earned point away from home and I have to say
the best refereeing we have seen this season.
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